Respect Life Ministry

Archdiocese of Miami

Project Joseph - Better MEn, Better Dads

Project Joseph has evolved into an archdiocesan network of formation and service for men who are in crisis pregnancies.

The program operates out of four of the five archdiocesan pregnancy help centers: North Broward (Margate), Central Broward (Fort Lauderdale), South Broward (Hollywood), and North Dade (Miami Gardens), soon to be expanded to South Dade. At each center there is at least one trained mentor who provides small group education to fathers, counseling and material assistance.

Fathers may attend an entire program of 18 modules divided into three blocks of six: Becoming a Better Man; Parenting; Future Planning.

After completing this set of modules, fathers are invited to continue in the program where they receive education and support in other areas of fatherhood such as:

community resources,

behavior management,

infant development,

chastity and human sexuality,

legal rights of fathers,

faith and parenting,

marriage and family,

and safeguarding children.

Dads are “paid” Parent Dollars for every session they attend. They can cash in these parent dollars for anything from diapers to cribs and mattresses. A father may join Project Joseph at any point from the moment of conception until the child is one-year old. Project Joseph is always there to help if a father needs to return later.

There is no charge for the services that we provide, nor do we charge the Archdiocese of Miami for such services. Project Joseph is financed through grants and donations.

Through the year, Project Joseph serves approximately 20 fathers per week, 50 weeks out of the year. The only time the program is closed is during Holy Week and Christmas week.

It is run by men for men. Our mentors are volunteers from the community. They are Catholics in good standing with the Church.

The Project is a joint venture between Respect Life Ministry Archdiocese of Miami and Franciscans of Life. The brothers provide initial and ongoing formation for the mentors.

Project Joseph is grounded in the spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi.

Fathers and mentors are brothers who walk side by side on this journey, as did Saint Francis of Assisi and those whom he and his brothers served. The mentors approach the fathers from the “bottom up”. Like Saint Francis, they are here to serve, not to preach, teach, correct, discipline or be heard. They preach the Gospel through their lives and through their unconditional love for every man whom they serve. We train our mentors in the pastoral methods of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, a Franciscan Friar and patron of pro-life workers.

Like his spiritual father, Saint Francis, Saint Maximilian placed his trust in the Immaculate. He planted the seed and allowed her to guide him and those with whom he walked. Like Christ, he was willing to lay down his life for his brother, especially if that brother was the father of a family. Our mentors are formed in the spirit of total detachment from self and confidence in the Immaculate and Divine Providence. We do what we need to do for the dads and we get out of God’s way.

If you are a man in the Archdiocese of Miami, ask yourself if God is inviting you to help us proclaim the Gospel of Life by walking with your brothers. Do not worry about not knowing what to do. We in the apostolate will walk with you and our brothers. Contact the Project Joseph Director to find out more!

Below is a short video about Project Joseph. To learn more about the Franciscans of Life and the work they do, click on the image below: